Inside Look At The Top Contact Management Systems (CMS)

When you start to reach the point in your business where contact management systems aren’t a nicety, but rather a necessity, you’ll quickly begin to realize that there are many options out there for you to choose from. If you want to grow your business successfully, managing your contacts effectively is one of the most important tasks at hand. If your sales and marketing team cannot quickly find, assess and contact your buyers and leads to capitalize on opportunities while they’re hot, your business will not only not grow, it will soon start to fail.

Features to Look for in Your Contact Management Systems

Before we start listing the top contact management systems on the market today, let’s take a look at what you should get standard with the top contact management systems and what features you should look for to expand your capabilities:

All good web based contact management systems should come with the ability to store your customers and leads information including email addresses, names, addresses, phone numbers, social media profiles, etc.

It’s important that your contact list is easily searchable and retrievable by the parties in your business that need the information and need it quickly

You should also have the ability to set up calendars and notifications so that no events or tasks fall through the cracks. Each of your contacts should be added to the relevant events or tasks and the appropriate people in your business should be notified to take action. This can be helpful when its time for renewals of contracts or reminding you to follow-up with cold, but qualified leads.

Notepads are another great feature in the top contact management systems out there, giving your employees or interns the ability to make notes on customer and client profiles from meetings, calls, etc. Helpful information such as the best time to contact a lead or their kids names will help other salesman pick up where a first contact left off.

The ability to share files is crucial for interoffice cohesion, allowing your sales team to share a docket with the marketing team, etc. This is essential for companies that deal with any number of files, contracts, proposals or other personal documentation that is critical for a member of the company to have in front of them at the drop of a hat.

Just like subsets and categories of blogs are easy to pull up because of tags, having the ability to tag your client and lead profiles is helpful as well. You can pull up an entire geographic area at once, a certain type of customer, a demographic, etc. Just tag their profiles appropriately and when you click on the tag, they are all assorted, arranged and ready for contact.

The Top Contact Management System Reviews of 2014

To make sure that not only your clients and leads are up to date, but also your contact management systems are up to date, here’s a list of the top contact management systems to grow your business in 2014:

Salesforce. By integrating collaboration, mobile and social tools, Salesforce remains a top player in the contact management software game, offering their steadfast standard features and a unique group and task organizer called Chatter. Easy to use since the social profiles are right next to the contact info of all your clients and leads. With Salesforce, you looking at a price range of about $60-$300 a month if you want the added feature of their CRM.

InfusionSoft.This is a brilliant contact management system for anyone that also needs eCommerce tools and marketing automation. A one-stop do-it-all interface with appointment and contact management, your lead capture and nurture processes will never be so organized. The drawback? It can be complicated to use as well as pricey. Your starting cost would be $199-$379 per month

NetSuite CRM+. If you need to create orders, track your projects and manage the partners involved, this system offers you all that and more. With sales forecasting tools, opportunity management software and advanced metrics, reporting and analytics (in addition to standard contact management features), this is a top choice for many large companies. Cost? $199 to $499 per month

Hatchbuck. For small and medium sized businesses who need sales and marketing software that takes email marketing CRM and automation to the next level of cohesion, this is a great way for your sales and marketing teams to stay on the same page. You will also shell out a good bit of cash for this system; from $99 to $299.

The truth of the matter is, most small businessesare looking for a simple system that keeps track of their customers and clients so they can better serve and build relationships with them. Many of the features these contact management systems offer may not even be utilized enough or at all to justify the costs. These systems also do not provide a built in strategy that will help with customer/client retention.

So what’s an alternative solution for the Network Marketer, Small Business owner or Solopreneur?

Is there a CMS/CRM that offers similar features as the top contact management systems, but is cost effective and actually builds customer relations?

Yes there is! Get all your marketing needs including amazing Contact Management Systems under one roof CLICK HEREto find out now!

Appreciation marketing is one of the most underrated and forgotten aspects of good customer service and marketing now that almost the entire economy has turned to digital channels.

Once considered a staple of every major business and company’s marketing system, appreciation marketing kind of fell by the wayside as outbound marketing died and inbound marketing took over.

But now, many savvy business owners and entrepreneurs are starting to realize that appreciation marketing was such a good idea back then because it still works now. By building strong relationships with your clients and customers, you are able to build brand loyalty, driving up sales for the company while constantly increasing your interaction and sales.

What is Appreciation Marketing?

Simply put, appreciation marketing is showing your appreciation for your customers. This is typically done through some type of follow up, generally on occasions that will mask the overall “marketingness” of the contact. For instance, if you get a “Merry Christmas” card or “Happy Birthday” email from a company you’ve done business with in the past, you’re not going to think “Oh yeah, they’re just trying to sell me something else! How dare they….!”

You’re going to think, “Wow that was a really nice gesture. I can’t believe they thought of me or remembered.” Now, imagine this company also has a free gift or discount offer, thanking you for being such a loyal customer, great person or supporter. It doesn’t matter why, it just matters that you’re now thinking positively about that brand, have incentive to spend or visit their site, and chances are, you’re motivated to reciprocate the appreciation with your credit card.

When to Use Appreciation Marketing

That is exactly what appreciation marketing is and what it does. Here are some great situations you can use appreciation marketing for:

Birthdays for your clients, customers, employees and prospects

Holiday greetings and salutations

Asking for suggestions or ratings from your past clients

Giving some news or hot tips that your clients and leads will appreciate

Offering “early bird” specials on new products and services

Saying “sorry we didn’t get your business” or “reach you on the phone”

Benefits of Appreciation Marketing

While it might be pretty obvious to consumers why appreciation marketing works (since it does), marketers might like to know some of the larger benefits of appreciation marketing:

Build better relationships with your clients through appreciation marketing. Many companies are so wrapped up in their daily operations and procedures that it can be easy to forget that the data they are looking at actually represents real people who appreciate respect and good customer service. Larger companies forget this more often than smaller companies so appreciation marketing can be a great way for smaller businesses to really hammer home the “personalized customer service” angle. For larger companies, putting this emphasis on human relationship will set you apart from your competitors.

Use appreciation marketing for more effective follow-ups. Follow-up marketing can be tricky to pull off without seeming pushy or spammy, but appreciation marketing solves both of those problems. This leads to a more effective follow-up campaign, especially if you are communicating at the right times and/or with the right “freebies” or discounts.

Use appreciation marketing to alter a negative impression a client might have. Just because a client didn’t have the best experience with your brand or company doesn’t mean you should write them off. In fact, if you go out of your way to right the perceived wrong, you could earn yourself an evangelist. You can start off with apologies and show that every customer is of high value. Provide a coupon or other incentive to return and turn that negative into a positive.

How to Setup Appreciation Marketing for Your Business

If you want to boost your appreciation marketing efforts to reap the benefits mentioned above, it’s a good idea to draft up a written policy and implement it across the boards. Set up reminders and notifications on your contact management software for the responsible parties.

If like many small businesses, you don’t even have an effective CMS/ Contact Management System let alone an appreciation marketing strategy, thenCLICK HEREto discover the #1 tool business owners and network marketers alike are using to build better relationship with their clients and customers while increasing profits.

Looking to find out more about the MLM company, Send Out Cards? You’re not alone. I’ve noticed quite a few inquires about the company which made me a bit curious myself so I did some investigating. The following are some of the key points you can use to help you make an education decision on whether or not Send Out Cards is right for you or if it is a complete waste of your time. Also, make sure to read my article on the 4 most utilized compensations plans for MLM companies if your not already familiar with them.

Send Out Cards- History

In 2004, Kody Bateman started Send Out Cards, a MLM home-based business opportunity based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company was started on a tragic note, as Kody left Utah for a marketing job in NYC, he missed a chance to say goodbye to his brother, who was tragically killed in an auto accident before Bateman had the chance to see him again. Promising to never miss another “prompting” to say goodbye, happy birthday or even just hello, Bateman started Send Out Cards.

What Does Send Out Cards Do?

They send out cards, of course. The aptly named company offers thousands of greeting cards for every situation imaginable, allowing you to pick and choose between them and then have them sent out to your family, friends, business colleagues, etc. The professionally designed cards are completely customizable, allowing you to add your personal stamp. It only takes one click of the mouse to get started (they even offer a free trial), and you can drag the design templates around, add a personal message and then have the company ship it off for you—all without ever leaving your house.

Why does Send Out Cards Sell?

People really seemed to latch onto the idea, especially with the time and convenience factors. The Postal Service is a dying cash cow, with the personal handwritten letter giving way to email. It was only a matter of time before the greeting card industry fell at the hands of the Internet. Send Out Cards is that replacement.

On a much larger scale, businesses use Send Out Cards to send invites to conferences and thank you letters to investors. Real estate agents are a huge market for Send Out Cards, as are auto sales representatives and financial service reps. Wedding planners can mass send invitations, rather than having to take the time to write out, lick envelopes and stamps and then physically mail the cards at the post office. Send Out Card eliminates all the hassle, allowing you to “mass message” your cards in a matter of minutes.

How Does Send Out Cards Work?

In order to get signed up with Send Out Cards, you’ll pay anywhere between $9.80 for pay- as- you- go services all the way up to $395 for the Marketing Distributor’s Package where you earn commissions and bonuses as a MLM representative. By choosing this distribution package, you’re setting yourself up for the possibility to make a lot of money through their unilevel MLM compensation plan.

With Send Out Cards Marketing Distributor’s Package,you get:

Digital Distributor Kit

Digital Certified Training Kit

Certified Training Program Eligibility

Basic Training Course

Online Business Office

Retail and Business Website

Gratitude Challenge Website

100 Bonus Points (points used to buy cards and send them)

Unlimited Picture Storage

This system will allow you to make money in a number of ways, all depending on how much time and effort you want to put into it.

How Do I Make Money with Send Out Cards?

Send Out Cards is a unilevel compensation plan for MLM meaning that everyone you bring into the fold is directly on your frontline. This makes it simple for you to not only sell the program, but to recruit other representatives, thus increasing your commissions and residual income. There are two major ways to earn your weekly bonuses and residual commissions from Send Out Cards, but many ways to go about those two. Here are some of the many avenues you can make money by joining up with Send Out Cards as a multi-level marketer:

Retail Commissions from Sales. Based on your monthly sales to customers, this commission check will increase with your monthly sales volume.

Customer Acquisition Bonus. Also called the CAB, this is a daily pay that is based on your ability to sign up new customers to the program.

Leadership Bonus. This is a weekly pay that is given only to the distributors that are advancing up in the ranks while demonstrating they have a keen sense of how to grow their business. The more ranks you advance, the higher these leadership bonuses get. Good markers of success for these bonuses are helping people sell more products, selling more products yourself, recruiting more prospects and training customers and distributors.

DownlineCommissions. Send Out Cards’ unilevel compensation plan pays down on 7 levels of your downline based on sales volume. This gives you a deep reach into the commission of your recruits, earning you higher income with higher organizational sales volume.

Leadership Volume Commission. This monthly payment is based on the sales volume of your entire downline. When your sales are up, it reflects on you as a leaders and as such, your pay should reflect on that as well. This leadership bonus can pay to unlimited levels, all depending on your organizational coding.

Certified Trainer Bonus. This is a weekly payment that is based on your training of others in the system of Send Out Cards, including the opportunities they provide for MLM’ers. This also includes training others to be competent to train other people as well.

The Bottom Line on Send Out Cards

When it’s all said and done, Send Out Cards is a pretty great company but an even better MLM compensation opportunity for savvy marketers. With the postal service becoming more and more obsolete, services such as this one afford a glimpse into the future of communications. As you may know, there’s always tons of money in communications thanks to our innate need as human beings to be in constant contact with one another.

For anyone getting in on MLM, this is a great place to start because the unilevel compensation plan is so simple. It’s the perfect type of plan for those who want to supplement their income part-time, or use this as one phase of a multi-level marketing portfolio or residual income plan.

Having said all of that, the real bottom line is this; regardless of what MLM opportunity you are attracted to you must develop your ability to find leads for your business apart from your family and friends. Not always an easy task, but certainly not impossible. For more information on how to Generate Leads on auto pilot for your new Send Out Cards business, CLICK HERE right now.

***Editors Note: When I wrote this article I was not affiliated with Sendoutcards because I was already in another company. Since then, I was reintroduced by a friend to the company and was able to test drive the product. I fell in love with it and immediately signed up. I had been looking for something unique and that I could be passionate about for a long time and I found it with Send Out Cards.

Test it yourself HERE, I’m confident you will see all the ways this will boost your sales and your relationships!